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dustnet
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Registered: Jul 30, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Jun 8, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,195.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great sensor, great value for the money, 6.5 img/sec, built-in flash
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Cons:
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Well, no real cons, just consequences of the price and generation : No movie mode, no weather sealing, low rez screen, AF
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Hi everybody,
I've been using this body as my primary body for wildlife for many trips. It never failed on me except some minor issues which I will discuss later. This body is today a very good value for the money, you can find it used at 500$ on the web.
Pros:
+ 10Mpx is really great for an APS-C camera. Diffraction starts only at f/9.3, which is fine with me (compared to the 7D, which starts to diffract at f/6.8) given the fact that when shooting wildlife, I'm rarely closing more than f/9 since I need fast shutter speed.
+ Screen is low rez (230k pixels) but large, so you don't feel like you have a hundred years old camera between the hands and you can review your pictures without getting a headache.
+ 6.5 img/sec is decent.
+ Liveview can be sometime very cool, to accurately focus or (sometime I found incredibly useful) to digitally zoom into a specific area to check something that you can't see with your binoculars or naked eyes.
+ APS-C sensors don't get as much dust as large sensors and they are handy for distant wildlife.
+ Built-in flash, cool when you just can't get your 580EX II because it's 100 yards away in the car...
Cons:
- No weather sealing, sometime, after a humid shoot, one of the button was just stopping to work for an hour or so (...). Having said that, the 40D is one of the most reliable camera I ever used (especially compared to the 5D II for example).
- No movie mode, but do you really need it ?
- Autofocus not really made for action.
As I said, I shot a great number of images with this camera, I strongly encourage you to check my blog and gallery for real world samples :
http://photography.emmanuelrondeau.com
http://blog.emmanuelrondeau.com
I sold this lovely camera 2 months ago because (and only because) I needed to have a second video capable camera (to go with my 5D II).
Thanks,
Emmanuel.
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 Jun 8, 2010
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Dpic_arctic
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Registered: Oct 31, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 2350
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Review Date: Mar 8, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $750.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent build, great price.
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Cons:
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Some may consider these cons: No movie mode; lower MP; no AF LV. (but I don't really miss any of these, for the price :))
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This body has excellent "bang for the buck". It is very rugged and speedy. I like it because it doesn't have the extra MP of newer bodies. 10 MP is just right for me right now. It provides the perfect balance considering image size (MB) and resolution. I would recommend this over any Rebel unless you want the movie mode, or the higher MP for resolving more sharpness in L lenses. This body can be obtained on B&S for great prices now. Fabulous deal!
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Mar 8, 2010
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curkey
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Registered: Jul 18, 2005
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Feb 2, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Handling and balance (with battery grip), clean, vivid and crisp pictures, high shooting rate, reasonably silent shutter, live view, low light performance, pop-up flash surprisingly ok, exchangeable focus screens
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Cons:
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Dreadful AF hunting with fast moving objects (airshows), no proper MLU, front and back focusing issues, useless auto ISO, low LCD resolution, no AF-ON button on vertical grip
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Together with my EF 70-200/2.8L and 27-70/2.8L this makes a nice combo. Especially with the battery grip everything is nicely balanced.
After lugging this kit around for half the afternoon you will swear and curse in all colourful ways, but after you see some crisp keepers passing by on your monitor you know it was all worth the effort.
For portraits I only use manual focus, because when using AF it front and back focuses all the time and I just can't get it right. The LCD does not help either in judging sharpness, cos what looks in focus on the LCD is often horribly OoF fullsize (and not just a bit).
I use some Contax & Leica dapters as well, so I'm pretty used to MF and in combination with LiveView it works fantastic.
Shooting airshows is not fun with AF, the 70-200 caught initial focus very quick, but tracking was impossible, even when the subject was on middle AF point all the time (try to lose a C5, no way) it kept hunting. From 450 pics 280 were OoF. After switching to MF and leaving stuff at infinity, only 12 out of 300 were bad... The high fps (6.5/s) rate is very handy here, me likes it.
Low light results are impressive as long as you get exposure right and avoid > 800 ISO. 1600 is usable for smaller prints.
For studio-ish work I really like the LiveView and tethered shooting via the USB cable, handy when camera is positioned awkwardly on a tripod.
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Feb 2, 2010
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bindi
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Registered: Jan 23, 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jan 23, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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nice weight, easy to learn controls, lot of info in viewfinder, fps
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Cons:
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iso at 800 and above
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I have had my 40D for 20 months now and have done about 14000 shots. I moved up from a 350D and keep that for a 2nd camera.
The 40D is sold by canon as a level above the 350/400D and it certainly is. Much better iso usability, faster autofocus, much better feel in the hands and far more true colour.
I have found that 800 iso is not sharp but probably usable to print 6 x 4 prints, but 1000 iso and above should only be used when you can't get the shot any other way.
I think my next camera will probably be a 5D mark 1 as I am expecting better iso capabilities with that even though it is older technology with a smaller screen and no iso idicator in the viewfinder. As an amateur, I can't justify the mk11 just yet.
I think the 40D will remain with me for quite a while as the backup camera, especially in well lit places. I have learnt how to use the 580ex11 well enough when it is possible to bounce and keep the iso down, but that is not always possible.
I haven't owned a 50D, but doubt the image quality would be any better than the 40D. It, of course, has newer technologhy, better screen, more pixels and video but a good 2nd hand 40D will continue to be great value for a while yet. I think the next level is a full frame, not the 7D.
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Jan 23, 2010
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ChazzD
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Registered: Dec 4, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Dec 4, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $699.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Good Megapixel to Sharpness ratio, Dust reduction system, 3" lcd viewer, 6.5 frames per sec. Good sturdy construction-makes the rebels and lower end Nikons feel like toys. the list goes on and on...
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Cons:
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lack of micro adjust for lenses, auto ISO is just 400-800 and not customizable,
(Not really negatives just lack of features)
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This is a very good value camera right now. It takes great sharp pictures and is capable of some fast FPS for action shots. Noise levels at higher ISO are not bad (most newer cameras are better in this area). The camera is very user friendly and the menus are pretty good. I upgraded from 20D (another very good camera) the changes from the 20D to the 40D are fairly significant. Although, the picture quality difference is not much, most of the time. Sharpness per Pixel is easily on par with the 20D which is well know for sharpness. I believe that the per pixel sharpness of the 40D beats that of the 50D. (the 50D does ad some features, if they are important to you I am sure its a fine camera)
Look at the professional reviews of this camera for more details and sample shots. All I can say is I am very happy with this camera and will be keeping it for a while.
It would be nice if canon offered a bit more weather sealing on there "prosumer" cameras. I don't plan on shooting much in rainstorms but the protection would be nice.
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Dec 4, 2009
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Haring
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Registered: Sep 11, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Sep 11, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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fast, good iso!
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Cons:
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image quality is less good compared to 5D
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I use my canon 40D with my 35mmL, 85mmL, 17 40mmL and 24-70mmL The output is just fabulous!!!!! The quality is almost as good as the Canon 5D. The screen is better than my 5D. the high speed shutter is very fast!!!!!
Go the www.haringphotography.com if you want to see samples.
Good camera.
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Sep 11, 2009
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svx94
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Mar 25, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 597
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Review Date: Aug 10, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $750.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Practical, work horse.
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Cons:
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All the things lacking on Canon (compare with Nikon bodies)
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I switched to Nikon D700 but can't give up on the sweat 70-200 F4L IS, so I got an used 40D, instead of using a heavy Nikon 70-200/2.8 VR. The benifit of having a 2nd body for telephoto is just too great 
The 40D is a much improved camera compares with the 20D. It IQ is almost better than the 50D, and focus, controls are definitely better than the 5D2. The control, sensor cleaning and AF are the most important improvement over the 20D/30D. I especially like the custom settings on the dial. I picked this one over the 5D2 and 50D. But none of the Canons can match the Nikon bodies. Unfortunately, Nikon doesn't offer a nice 70-200 F4 VR like the Canon.
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Aug 10, 2009
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tomKphoto
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Registered: May 1, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 556
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Review Date: Jun 23, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $925.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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great value, clean output upto ISO1600, brisk auto focus in marginal light, optional grid finder, improved control layout compared to 20D/30D
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Cons:
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review screen shows soft & very saturated images with odd color balance, no usable Auto ISO like Nikons in this price range.
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To me, this camera is a classic. At the time of this writing, I own three 40Ds for Wedding work. The 40D corrects many performance & ergonomic issues of the 20D and 30D that came before. ISO changes are quick with a dedicated button and viewfinder indicator. The low light Auto Focus is great for this price range. The optional grid finder was long overdue. The signature black Canon hotshoe is actually a good thing - the black paint would just come off in heavy use.
JPEGs up to ISO1600 are very clean thanks to wonderful Noise Reduction and the Highlight Protection that really works. The ISO1600 shadow banding of the 30D is gone and the 40D shadow noise just looks like film grain, as it should.
What's not to like? There's no useable AutoISO like comparable Nikons, and the review (chimp) screen shows soft images with unreal saturation and an odd hue balance.
40D or 50D? I chose not to update to the 50D because of the much reported noisier ISO1600 output compared to the 40D. Canon should've stopped at 12mp which is probably the ideal spec for this sensor size.
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Jun 23, 2009
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Enche Tjin
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Registered: Jun 14, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 18, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,100.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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fast, robust, sturdy, reliable
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Cons:
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auto ISO, lcd screen is not hi-res
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I have been using Canon 40D for two years. It is my second camera (my first camera is Pentax k100). It is big, solid and tough. I thought Pentax K100d is quite big, but it is nothing compare to this 40D. The grip is very ergonomic. I feel confidence handling it.
Body and control
The built quality of Canon 40D is excellent. It is made from magnesium alloy body. It is weather seal as well. It is made to withstand plenty of abuse. I dropped the camera once to the ground, and it still performs like new. I think entry level camera such as Rebel XSi would not able to withstand it.
Canon 40D has many buttons and two main dials. The first dial is thumb dial, located near shutter button. The second one is the big round dial located at the back of the camera. I especially like the round dial. I usually change aperture, view photo, choose menu using this dial. To access live view mode, I simply push the button in the center of the dial.
ISO and Auto ISO
The ISO range starts from 100 to 3200. The auto ISO range is from 100 to 800. I hope it is 100 to 1600. 40D handles noise very well up to 800. You will see more noise creeping in at 1600. At ISO 3200, the image quality is unacceptable. The Auto ISO is the biggest disappointment for me. It tends to stick at ISO 400 most of the time.
LCD Screens
Canon 40D has two LCD screens, the main / back screen and top LCD screen. The top LCD screen is clear in the dim light condition such as indoor or evening, but not clear in the bright daylight. To solve this problem, you can use accessory called Hoodman. The top LCD screens is helpful to check out camera settings at any time and any circumstances. It has green light lcd that could be turned on if necessary.
Auto Focus System
Canon 40D has 11 AF points, distributed in diamond formation. The speed of AF will depends on the lens. Lens that have USM (Ultra Sonic Motor) is generally perform faster than non-USM, but some lenses like Canon 85mm f/1.2 USM AF are quite slow because of the complicated lens elements. Some lenses are also better in tracking subject than other.
Favorite features
There is a feature called Highlight tone priority. I think it is a great feature because it protects the highlight from over exposure. It is great to use for portraits, wedding, landscape and so on.
The shutter has a distinctive noise. It sounds very professional. This camera can also shoot up to 6.5 fps which is great features to capture fast moving object.
Competition
Because this camera is more than two years old now, it has many cameras that match or surpass this camera in term of its specifications. For example Canon 50D which has high-res LCD screen, higher image resolution and better Auto ISO. Nikon D300 is superior regarding AF system. It has 51 points and better tracking system.
There is also Nikon D90 which has hi-res 3 inch lcd screen, cleaner image in high ISO speed but slower continuous speed and worse built quality. Read controversy regarding Nikon D90 vs Canon 40D.
Conclusion
This is a very good camera suitable for either professional or amateur photographer. The size might be a bit too big for casual shooters, but after a while you might use to it. The image quality with the kit lens is good, but I recommend to get a higher quality lens to get maximum quality. Even it is more than two years old now, this camera is still capable and robust for you if you can live with its limitation (hint: Auto ISO and LCD screen). Please visit my blog http://www.radiantlite.com for more reviews.
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Jun 18, 2009
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NotABunny
Offline
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Registered: Apr 20, 2009
Location: N/A
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Apr 20, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,100.00
| Rating: 9
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My current (now unused) camera is a compact Canon A620 with which I'm happy. However, I wanted to make pictures that "pop", like those from magazines, so I thought Canon EOS 40D could do it.
I purchased a body but I had some problems getting Canon lenses (still have, for months now), so I got a Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro.
I was and still am (you'll see why) worried that I've spent a lot of money and got little to show for, but the chance to take some serious pictures showed itself when I was invited to a kiting event.
Sure enough, the pictures taken are sharp, full of large colorful areas and smiles and really "pop" as I wanted. The light was beautiful (soft, golden, toward the end of the day, the sun behind). The background was far away (being on a field). I can say that after seeing the pictures on my computer I thought the money was worth it.
So what's the problem? Metering. Big time trouble. Completely messed up. I like to take candid pictures and I thought I could do away with reviewing pictures on the display in order to save battery, but this is not possible if I'm shooting in the Creative Zone.
I am biased in saying this because with my compact camera I would look at simulated exposure from the display and know (from experience) what to do to adjust the exposure. With a DSLR, I thought I would not need to do this (considering the money involved).
The 40D usually underexposes in the Creative Zone, although that would not be a problem if it were consistent in doing so. But it's not. The manual says the metering sensor can be fooled by various factors, but I've found that it's waaay too easy to fool it.
The Basic Zone modes seem to apply some correction because they are just about right (overexpose clouds in a sunny day). I've read that they use "Auto Lighting Optimization", but this is used automatically only in the Basic Zone and there is no way to activate it in the Creative Zone. In any case, I don't know if this is really the cause of the "correct" behavior.
The reason why I don't want to use the Basic Zone for shooting is that the focus points can't be adjusted there and, except for closeup portraits, the camera can easily focus anywhere but on the subject.
If it weren't for the kiting event, I could have thought the camera was damaged, but those pictures were shot mostly in aperture priority and were consistently exposed (perhaps slightly under, but my notebook display is not exactly photographic quality to tell for sure).
I read that the camera adjusts the exposure as if everything was 18% gray. After seeing the result, I want to have available different metering algorithms (or more metering zones?) because the current one is way off. Canon says that snow, for example, is 2 stops underexposed. I found that sunny skies are about 1 stop underexposed. I don't get it, why can't the camera just say "well, there is a lot of light so there is snow or a sunny day, better leave the exposure as I'm seeing things"?
Or instead of different metering algorithms, how about adding in the viewfinder the absolute brightness (00...99 - each unit equals 1/3 or 1/6 stops maybe?) which the camera will use to determine the exposure? (The exposure compensation really doesn't need to take that much space, just use 3 characters.) For instance, if I know I'm taking a picture of some clouds in a sunny day and know from experience that this means a brightness of 80, but see the camera using a brightness of 50, I could adjust right away the exposure compensation.
I'm not gonna decrease the mark too much for this because there are ways around it (although take time that I don't have for candid photos) and the properly exposed pictures are very good.
There are also some annoying things (some to consider for the 60D?!):
* The SanDisk Extreme 3 (30 MB/s) needs UDMA for maximum performance. I knew that the 40D doesn't support UDMA, but the performance of the CF card without UDMA is pathetic. When I download pictures from the camera, I get an average of 3.5 - 5 MB/s. I tried with a USB card reader and the performance is similarly pathetic. So, when paying the difference between a Extreme 2 and 3 (or even 4), remember this. Why a nail-sized USB stick can read with 27 MB/s and Extreme 3 can't is beyond me.
* The buttons from the bottom of the camera are accidentaly pressed when I walk with the camera hanging from my neck. I had pictures showing up, information being displayed, the camera shutting down.
* There is no swivel display. I miss it (from my A620) when I trying shooting from weird angles.
* The strap mount should be on the side with the display in order to keep the camera downward when hanging from the neck (or so it seems I would want it to hang.) This could be incompatible with a swivel display (but the swivel is more important to me).
* OLED display for the 60D?
George
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Apr 20, 2009
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Nachtnebel
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Registered: Mar 30, 2008
Location: Norway
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Apr 5, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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I've previously owned 20D, 30D and now just got the 40D for a really good price. Price was one of the reasons for not getting the 50D + I see the 50D rather as a 30Dvs20D upgrade. I've totally fallen in love with the 40D, it has all I need. Really like how the menu is set up, love the S-RAW option, like the screen and live view for macro and really like the AF-On-button for focus (although it's a little far to the left, but I'll get used to it). My wife uses the camera once in a while, and she never got used to having the autofocus at the * button instead of the shutter. Now we are both happy (she can use the shutter, I use the AF-On). Too bad the battery grip doesn't have the AF-On-button though.
Image quality is outstanding, I think the colors come out better than the 30D. I shoot a lot of concerts and can't wait to take the 35mm f/1.4L and the 40D to the next concert. ISO 1600 looks great so far. The autofocus speed seems considerably better in low light than 30D.
This camera is a keeper!
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Apr 5, 2009
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another_mikey
Offline
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Registered: Mar 2, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 201
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Review Date: Mar 28, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Handling, live view, AF, image quality
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Cons:
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small preview jpgs used on back LCD for preview, LCD resolution, no lens microadjust
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I have had my 40D for over a year, and have shot about ~4,000 shutter clicks wit it, so I decided to review it for anyone out there trying to decide if they want one.
The camera is an excellent model from a already very mature camera family. If you have used any of the predecessors to this camera, it will feel very familiar and easy to use right away. I think it is currently in a very sweet spot of Canon's lineup when price, features, and IQ are concerned. While the 50D does have some nice features the 40D lacks, the price difference is not trivial - over $300 (using current B&H body only pricing as a guide...)
If I still had my 350D and wanted to upgrade, it would be a tough decision between the 40D and 50D. But for me now, I find that the 40D noise, resolution and image quality are very good, and I just am not compelled to consider an upgrade at this point. The 40D is an exceptional photographic tool, and I will have to get a lot better before I find it limiting my results in any significant way.
ML
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Mar 28, 2009
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